ILGA held its XXIII World Conference in Geneva, home of the United Nations Human Rights Council

ILGA’s efforts to have sexual orientation and gender identity come out at the United Nations grew in importance in 2006 and organised around three aspects:

- Speaking in our own name at the United Nations: the ECOSOC campaign
- Maintaining an LGBT presence at the Human Rights Council

- ILGA held its XXIII World Conference in Geneva, home of the United Nations Human Rights Council

Some 220 activists joined ILGA for their XXIII World Conference which took place in Geneva as voted by its members at the previous world conference in Manila, 2003. The date of the conference was postponed to April 2006 in order to coincide with the United Nations Commission of Human Rights. Unfortunately, the Commission underwent radical reform that year and did not meet but for its dissolution. Activists gathered in Geneva had the chance to meet their country representatives at the UN thanks to the intitiative of ARC International.

More on the conference
*A strong demonstration of how the LGBT movement and ILGA are alive and needed in the world today. Cynthia Rothschild from Centre for Women's Global Leadership, Scott Long from Human Rights Watch and Chris Sidoti from International Service for Human Rights as well as Douglas Sanders, first person to ever talk of homosexuality within an UN forum participated in the conference and expressed their support to ILGA's struggle to get proper recognition within the UN system.
*His Holiness Dalai Lama issues statement in support of Human Rights of LGBT people. The statement expresses H.H. the Dalai Lama's concern at "reports of violence and discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people" and "urges respect, tolerance and the full recognition of human rights for all."
*Articles written on the XXIII ILGA World Conference
*African LGBTs strongly represented at the ILGA World Conference. More than 15 African representatives participated in the 23rd ILGA World Conference in Geneva. African people made their communities highly visible and called for greater internal - but also external - advocacy towards the empowerment of the LGBT/gender movement on the African continent.
*A letter to His Excellency Joseph U. Ayalogu Ambassador, Permanent Mission of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We, the undersigned individuals and organizations from 34 countries and all regions of the world, are outraged by Nigeria’s move to violate human rights and†fundamental freedoms.
*End Homophobia in Africa A statement from African delegates at the XXIII ILGA World conference

Download ILGA’s magazines
Special issue prior to Conference – April 2006
Report from the Conference – July 2006